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The US Departments of Energy and Defense conducted the world’s first air-transport of a nuclear microreactor, as a demonstration of the potential for the rapid deployment of this technology in civilian and military contexts.
The two departments partnered with Valar Atomics, a California-based company, to fly one of its Ward microreactors on a C-17 aircraft.
The reactor was accompanied to Hill Air Force Base in Utah by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey.
“This gets us closer to deploy nuclear power when and where it is needed to give our nation’s warfighters the tools to win in battle,” Duffey said.
Nuclear microreactors are part of the Trump administration’s plan to expand US energy production.
In May, President Trump issued four Executive Orders aimed at boosting domestic nuclear energy generation, and the Energy Department has issued a number of grants to accelerate development of small nuclear reactors.
Reuters explains, “The microreactor in Sunday’s event, a little larger than a minivan, can generate up to 5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 5,000 homes, according to Valar CEO Isaiah Taylor. It will start operating in July at 100 kilowatts and peak at 250 kilowatts this year before ramping up to full capacity, he said.
“Valar hopes to start selling power on a test basis in 2027 and become fully commercial in 2028. Although private industry funds its own development of nuclear technology, it also needs the federal government ‘doing some enabling actions to allow fuel fabrication here and uranium enrichment here,’ he said.”
